Westboro Baptist church set to protest funeral of Marine in Fort Mill (updated)

Thursday’s funeral services for Marine Staff Sgt. TJ Dudley are attracting some unwanted guests. Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church released a statement this (Wednesday) morning saying they’ll protest the service for the marine killed earlier this month in Afghanistan.

Barry Burke, state commander of South Carolina Rolling Thunder tells WRHI News the organization’s followers are zealots.

[audio: 0713-Burke-A.mp3]          Q: …asked them to. (:13)

Funeral services for Staff Sgt. Dudley are set to take place at 2 p.m. Thursday at Fort Mill High.

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Funeral services for Marine Staff Sgt. TJ Dudley are set for Thursday/this afternoon at 2 o’clock in Fort Mill…and while hundreds gathered Wednesday morning to escort Dudley’s body from Charlotte to Fort Mill, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church plans to protest Thursday’s funeral. But Randal Stevens, State Captian of the Patriot Guard Riders says his group of former servicemen will be standing by to make sure the religious zealouts can’t be heard.

[audio: 0713-Stevens-C.mp3]          Q: but I doubt it.          (:20)

Stevens says there’s a great deal of irony surrounding the protests of funerals like Dudley’s. organizations like the Patriot Riders serve to help provide an additional level of support for the family of fallen service members, supporting their brothers and sisters in arms.

[audio: 0713-Stevens-B.mp3]          Q: to be idiots.           (:07)

Services for Staff Sgt. Dudley are set to take place Thursday/this afternoon at 2 p.m. at Fort Mill High School.

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Members of Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church are set to protest the funeral of Marine Staff Sgt. TJ Dudley Thursday in Fort Mill. But the protesters, should they arrive, will meet a stiff resistance as members of the community and veterans’ groups like the Patriot Riders will be on hand protecting the family from the eccentric radical religious group. Randall Stevens, State Captain of the Patriot Guard Riders tells WRHI News his organization serves to help provide an additional level of support for the family of fallen service members, supporting their brothers and sisters in arms.

[audio: 0713-Stevens-A.mp3]          Q: doesn’t have to see that           (:20)

Dudley’s body arrived in Charlotte Wednesday morning and hundreds lined the sides of S.C. 160 to help escort his remains to a Fort Mill funeral home. Funeral services will take place Thursday at 2 p.m. at Fort Mill High School.